Gadgets Blog News

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 2:48PM Although most of the attention in the increasingly-competitive CPU market has been focused on Intel and newcomer NVIDIA lately, AMD’s still in it to win it, and it looks like it’s taking some bold moves. First up, the company says over 100 laptop designs based on the new Puma mobile platform are being developed for delivery in June, over twice as many as it’s had in the past. AMD’s touting Puma’s Hybrid Graphics mode that allows the system to intelligently switch between a Radeon HD3400 and integrated graphics for max power-savings, so it’ll be interesting to see how the system stacks up against Intel’s Atom and VIA’s Isaiah — like NVIDIA, AMD seems to be betting that consumers care more about graphics than raw horsepower. (Read the full post about ‘AMD says post-Phenom CPUs will be “completely different,” 100 laptops to launch with Puma’…)

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Dell has just added what they are calling a new “Spring” color for their XPS M1330 and M1530 notebooks, and what would seem to be perfect timing to potentially grab some Mothers Day sales; Flamingo Pink. According to Dell, “It was an easy decision” to add the new pink color because “while customers appreciate the sleek, no-nonsense XPS look, they also wanted a wider variety in color options.” In addition to the new pink, the M1330 and M1530 will still be available in the previous Midnight Blue, Tuxedo Black or Product (RED). With so many new tech items becoming available in a shade on pink, its almost become a standard color now. (Read the full post about ‘Dell goes pink with the XPS M1330, M1530 notebooks’…)

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If you’re a tea snob, I mean ,connoisseur, as I am, you know it’s all about the process - steep it too long and it’s bitter; too short and it’s colored water. TeaCubes takes the guessing out of the equation by placing the tea bag on a timed retractable spool so it pulls the teabag out of your mug in exactly three minutes. Designed by Jieun Yang & Hanah Suh, it’s only in the concept stage at this point, but you can admire it at Yanko Design. (Read the full post about ‘TeaCubes - for the perfect cuppa’…)

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Along with the Nokia 6600 Fold, Nokia also unveiled its alternative, the Nokia 6600 slide, for those who prefer slider phones over clamshells.

Just like the Nokia 6600 Fold, the slider version also has the double-tap feature. Tapping the phone twice displays the time, shows alerts, and even rejects incoming calls. The Nokia 6600 slide is equipped with a 2.2-inch QVGA display as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera which takes high quality pictures that you can send through Internet connection of MMS. Devoid of 3G functionality, the Nokia 6600 slide goes for a slightly lower price of 200.

Tags: tech, technology, video, consumer technology

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Suzuki has recently announced that they will be incorporating a free Garmin GPS in every 2009 SX4 as a standard option. Within the car will be a special compartment called “T.R.I.P”, in which the GPS will be housed. T.R.I.P stands for Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play, hey that’s clever, Suzuki. Otherwise, the GPS comes with Bluetooth functionality, for hands free calling, traffic updates, and MSN Direct, however, the MSN Direct feature is still unconfirmed as of now. Some speculation is that this Garmin GPS is a customized Nuvi 780. If you don’t want to purchase this car, and get another car, the same type of GPS will set you back $500 when purchased by itself. (Read the full post about ‘Suzuki adds Garmin GPS standard in the SX4′…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 7:43AM Go on, admit it — your day in the early 90s was never complete without reaching down in public and giving those Pumps a solid squeeze. In all honesty, we can’t say that Ki-Seung Lee’s Airboard is quite on that level, but it’s certainly got the potential to be. This laptop stand was designed to reside in your lap or on your hotel room table and give each individual user the ability to elevate it as he / she sees fit. (Read the full post about ‘Airboard laptop stand puts your Reebok Pumps to shame’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 9:13AM Too busy to bother with external speakers for your iPod? Still can’t shake that fascination with colored blocks after all these decades? Take heart, young buck, as the iPod building block speakers can keep that kid in you alive for a good bit longer — though we aren’t sure the audiophile in you will be too pleased. These non-powered “drivers” get amped after being plugged into an ipod’s dock connector (sorry, iphone users), but curiously enough, they only arrive in a single 2.5- x 1- x .75-inch form, which doesn’t exactly fit flush against the last-gen nano. (Read the full post about ‘iPod building block speakers keep your dock connector company’…)

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by Joshua Topolsky, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 9:28AMAttention XP’ers — your wildest fantasies are coming to fruition. Word on the street is that Service Pack 3 is now available for download all over the World Wide Web. When we say “all over” what we really mean is via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center, though we doubt it will stay in one place for too long. Apparently, the new pack offers 1,100 hotfixes and patches, so maybe your obscure, cheapo soundcard will now function in stereo.Update: Apparently due to a “glitch” in the latest SP, Microsoft has delayed the release of the update, now aiming for a May 2nd street date. Thanks commenters and tipsters, and no thanks to you, Microsoft.ReadPermalinkEmail this146 CommentsFiled under: Desktops, LaptopsTags: mobiles, MP3, players, tests (Read the full post about ‘Windows XP SP3 now available… just kidding’…)

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by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 8:14AM One of the most surprising things about the launch of an ultra-portable laptop dubbed “Air” by Apple wasn’t its thinness but the lack of an embedded WWAN radio. No more, at least if you’re not intimidated by smoldering solder and warranty violations. Jordan Bunnell has posted a step-by-step of his success at integrating a Verizon USB727 Aircard into the macbook air chassis thanks to the MBA’s previously unused USB controllers discovered on the system board. While the EVDO signal (and speed) has appreciably degraded from its externally attached origins, Jordan is still pulling 1,400 to 1,700kbps downloads and 380kbps uploads — something which might be improved with antenna tweaks. (Read the full post about ‘MacBook Air hacked with internal EV-DO — finally lives up to its name’…)

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by Darren Murph, posted Apr 29th 2008 at 8:54AM Just weeks after the rental giant announced an expanded dedication for Blu-ray and even tried selling HDTVs in a test location in Dallas, now the firm is attempting to boost profits by digging into the surging video game market. Presumably in hopes that rental junkies and casual gaming fans alike will actually venture into Blockbuster in order to buy their next Wii, DS, Xbox 360 or playstation 3, the outfit has announced a new focus that will push the retail video game / game hardware aspect in all of its US-based corporate-owned stores. This includes consoles, a more fleshed out array of games and all the accessories your wallet can handle. (Read the full post about ‘Blockbuster announces new initiative, looks to game hardware sales’…)

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